


According to Plan

by SilverRose22



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Blood Magic, Caleb Widogast-centric, Elemental Magic, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Frumpkin (Critical Role) is an Emotional Support Animal, M/M, The whole gang will show up at some point, War, this was supposed to be a oneshot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 06:29:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18823024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRose22/pseuds/SilverRose22
Summary: Caleb Widogast is a war general for the Empire. Mollymauk is a general for Xhorhas. Somehow, despite being the worst of enemies, they fall in love. Or another Widomauk General au nobody asked for.





	1. Deal

Wearing a basic soldier's uniform was apart of the plan. As he'd told Nott earlier in the day, it was less of a safety precaution and more of a guerilla warfare tactic. Everyone in Xhorhas's military and their mother knew about the infamous general of flames. He'd burn you to ashes in one breath and blow you into the wind with the next. 

What Caleb hadn't accounted for was that all of the soldiers he had taken with him would die in a bloody, endless pile. By the time a dozen of them were left standing, he only had three spells left, and the enemy didn't even look close to breaking a sweat. So, when he was struck by the next soft blow, he decided to play dead. 

Breath shallow, hold your breath, and no matter what, do not open your eyes.

Blood rang in his ears louder than the screams. Footsteps came closer, and suddenly he couldn't hear any screams at all.

"I think they are all probably dead," he heard the squelch of a body next to him, "probably."

"Look for Widogast aswell. Kree said he would be here," came a deeper, feminine voice. 

Breath in shallow. Breath out shallow.

"Maybe he was here, but then saw how super cool and strong we looked in battle and decided to go home? I mean it's kinda a dick move to completely abandon everybody though, and I know alot about dicks," the higher pitch said. A twig snapped and Caleb almost flinched.

"I heard something about dicks?" came a familiar voice. General Tealeaf. Or the Empire's greatest enemy. Or the man that Caleb was supposed to kill today and didn't. He couldn't help tensing up the slightest bit. And suddenly there was a step in his direction.

Hold your breath. Do not open your eyes.

A blade poked under his chin, forcing it backwards.

"Hello friend. I don't believe we've had the chance to meet before. Mollymauk Tealeaf, and you are?" he introduced. Caleb's hands slowly went towards his component pouch before a hand grabbed his wrist. 

"None of that now. We're just gonna have a nice chat, and then we'll see if I feel like letting you go free. Sound like a deal?" Caleb opened his eyes to see an outstretched, purple hand. Shining rings of all shapes adorned each finger. It looked so impractical for battle. Caleb looked up. But so did the heavily embroidered coat he supposed. The man somehow made the horrible clash work. He looked colorful and bright, like he hadn't just murdered an army in less than an hour. Caleb had calculated for a lot of things. This was not one of them. He blinked slowly before taking the hand and standing up.

"Good. Now it's not that I don't trust you, but," he red eyes flickered to the blue tiefling only a few feet away, "I don't trust you." The girl came closer. "Jester, could you be a dear and cast zone of truth?" She did what looked like a child's imitation of what a salut should be and then quickly went about casting it. Caleb felt a light tingling sensation take over his body.

"Thank you lovely," The general said, grinning. "Now then," his red eyes pierced Caleb's "let's get to it. You never did tell me your name."

"Bren," Caleb replied. It was a name of his. He just didn't use it anymore. The other's eyebrows quirked up.

"Just Bren?," he lilted. Caleb gave out a sigh. This was going to be a lot of tip toeing around the truth.

"Bren Ermendrud." He wasn't going to give away any more than necessary.

"Well, Bren," the man started, "me and my friends have been looking for a General Widogast. You wouldn't happen to know his location, would you?" Caleb glanced at said friends before looking back at General Tealeaf.

"I know his location as well as you do, freund." Caleb replied, sarcasm slipping into his voice. Tealeaf just smiled with his fangs bared.

"A little bite. I like it," he said, putting one of his his blades back up against Caleb's throat. "But I'm afraid that I'm looking for answers that are a bit more straightforward. I'm sure a good fellow like you can provide those," he said, slowly digging in the blade deeper.

"Look, in the Empire, men are chosen for this by draft. I barely know how to wield a sword let alone fight with it. You're talking to the wrong man." he said, staring Tealeaf down. The tiefling looked down at his component pouch and frowned.

"But you are a wizard it would seem. You can't tell me you never looked up to the general for his spellcasting abilities. Never once tried to find out where he was to talk to him? Not even a passing glance of recognition?" He questioned.

"I hate the general as much as you do," Caleb laughed, "I might even hate him more. He has… he has caused more harm than good, ja? I can only use so many cantrips, really, and the more advanced cantrips fool me." He had moved on to higher level spells almost immediately after learning his first . "To pretend I care about his well being is a funny joke. Besides, I hold little love for the Empire." he continued. the general's eyes narrowed, and his taller compatriot stepped forward.

"You say you have little love for the Empire. What's keeping you here?" The man asked. 

"Duty, mostly," Caleb said. He had a duty to take care of Nott. The small goblin snuck into his life and made a rat's nest out of his broken pieces. Then Fjord has come in, tightly wrapping the nest in bright, red rope. He tied it into nice looking sailors knots until even he had started to consider the Empire a home with his friends. Even Beau had started creeping closer these days. 

"And the rest?" Tealeaf pressed with both his questioning and sword.

"Power." He would find a way to reverse Nott into a halfling, and to get Fjord out of his warlock pack. A selfish part of him still wanted to change the past. If he hadn't burned his parent's down to the ground along with their house, would his mistakes ever be forgiven? He knew they wouldn't, but as a general with access to every magical text in the country, he could at least change the past. 

"I'll offer you another deal," Tealeaf said, easing up on the pressure. "You want power, and I want my Queen to be able to hear first hand the inner workings of your military. Otherwise, I can leave your corpse here rotting for the wolves. What do you say Mister Bren?" He gave, putting out his hand. It sounded more like a promise than a threat. And this was not apart of the plan, but... Caleb reached out his hand.

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this so it's Yasha instead of Beau cause Empire kids TM and all that jazz. I was just inspired by the 5e spell list. Enjoy!


	2. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing Lights  
> Casting Time: One Action  
> Range: 120 feet  
> Components: V, S, M (phosphorus, wychwood or glowworm)  
> Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute 
> 
> You create up to five torch-sized lights that hover in the air. Each shed dim light in a 10-foot radius. As an action, you can move the lights up to 60 feet. Each light must be within 30 feet of another one.
> 
> Light  
> Casting Time: 1 action  
> Range: Touch  
> Compoments: V, M (firefly or glowing moss)  
> Duration: 1 hour
> 
> You use your action to touch an object no longer than 10 feet in any dimension, causing it to shine bright light of a color you choose in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. If the object is completely covered, the light is blocked. The spell ends if you cast it again or dismiss the light as an action.
> 
> If your target is an object held or worn by a hostile creature, the creature must pass a Dexterity save to avoid being lit by the spell

They were riding in a cart to get to the capital which was still kind of unbelievable. Caleb had a couple of hours to plan, but sneaking away in the night was the closest he'd come to an idea and even then he'd need means of transportation. He couldn't get far enough away in the amount of time he had. It was silent enough for thinking a good part of the afternoon until the blue tiefling let out a big sigh. She looked at Caleb, who stared intently at the bottom of the cart, and let out an even bigger sigh. When he didn't give any indication of noticing, she took the initiative herself.

"So, Bren, what spells do you know?" Caleb looked up and paused to come up with something plausible

"I can make lights kind of. They require concentration, very easy to lose." He tried down playing. At the sound of spellcasting, Tealeaf's tail straightened up in the front of the cart, and he tried at inconspicuously paying attention. One thing they were both bad at.

"You should totally let me see. You know, I can make light too, so I could totally give you tips and tricks," Jester chattered.

"Alright," he agreed, hesitantly putting his hand up. No harm in showing off something small. Caleb waved his fingertips, and four globes of blinding light appeared floating beside him. Jester put her hand up to her eyes and squinted.

"Mind toning in down a bit?" she pleaded, sounding pained, "They're way too bright."  
Caleb's brow furrowed. He tried to move his hand the other way, but one of the globes just went out. He never did learn how to finesse small spells.

"Maybe just dispel it for now," Tealeaf chipped in. Caleb waved his fingers and the rest vanished. Jester rubbed her eyes

"Those hurt to look at." Caleb blinked.

"Ah? Magic is supposed to hurt. That is its intent." Jester looked lost. "Although, this spell is more for functionality, I suppose," Caleb explained, getting quieter towards the end as the general turned around

"The Empire really is all kinds of wonky," Tealeaf remarked. Jester frowned. Caleb was lost. They seemed lost. It was all very confusing.

"Was? If I have said something wrong, I apologize." Jester was quick to respond. 

"You said you have to concentration on your spell to make it appear, right?"

"Well, when I want to make a light," Jester paused and breathed in. A small ball of warm, glowing light appeared in her hands, "I just think of The Traveler, or something fun." She leaned in close to Caleb and stage whispered, "One time when we were visiting a fancy lord , I dyed all of his horses neon green, and he had to ride in a parade on one of them the next day. He was soooo mad." As she smiled, the edges of the sphere started to twist around her fingers. She shoved it in his face. "See! Like that." 

Caleb leaned back, and put his hands out in front of his chest. The method was certainly unconventional, but it could work if the concentration was rooted in something with a high strain. If he could take in happiness the same way he could still feel the shards in his arms, it might work. But at the end of the day- 

"Try it." Jester demanded. Caleb mimicked her breath in. What made him happy? Last birthday, Nott had given him one of her favorite buttons- one that was tortoiseshell because it had "matched with Frumpkin's colors". The globes started to light up. 

"Those are lovely," Tealeaf complimented. Right, General Tealeaf, who he couldn't kill, who he was supposed to kill. Nott would find out he lost, and she would worry if he was safe and he would ruin her day and she didn't deserve to worry over someone like him and she would tell Beau who would get uselessly upset and he couldn't even summon Frumpkin to calm him down like normal because these people would see it and the gig would be up and then they would kill him and then he would never get to see how the button looked up against Frumpkin's fur ever again.  


"Woah, too bright again there Bren," Tealeaf soothed. Caleb waved them away. "Maybe another time," Tealeaf assured.  


"Maybe you just need things to make you feel happy. Ooh, Bren, Why did the necromancer's wife leave her?" Jester asked. Caleb didn't respond. "She didn't want to *raise* kids. Get it?" She jabbed his arm. He winced and held it closer."Cause necromancers raise people from the dead?" Yasha let out a small laugh.  


"That is a very good joke," she complimented. Jester beamed at her and then turned to Caleb. The corners of her lips slowly fell.  


"You're still not smiling. You haven't smiled a single time since I met you, and everybody smiles with me," she informed him, pouting slightly. Caleb just stared at the cart.  


"Well, I think we could all use a break, don't you?" the general offered. "You two could get some water from that stream nearby while me and Jester feed the horses. " He quickly nodded. "Sounds like a plan," Tealeaf affirmed, clapping his hands.  


Caleb and Yasha got off of the cart and started walking to the nearby stream. It was almost eerily silent compared to the cart.  


"So," he began after the first few minutes of silence,"do you do magic?," Yasha turned to look at him.  


"Kind of. I was saved by a god, and you know strange things tend to happen. Some of my, ahh, 'magic' is from the Stormlord," she explained gently. For such an intimidating lady, she spoke so softly.  


"Does it feel happy when you do it?" he questioned as they approached stream. Yasha took a skin and started filling it up.  


"Not exactly." She put the cap on one and began filling up the next." I tend to use it when I get angry, but the rage isn't unhappy so to speak. I get mad for my loved ones. It's not. It's not ahh. Happy isn't apart of it at all, but it is not painful, no," she finished, filling up the skin. She then picked up a small, purple flower and took out a well worn book. "Magic is easiest for those we love." Yasha then gently put the bud into a set of empty pages, and tenderly closed it. He nodded as if he understood and started filling up his skins. When they walked back, it was in a much more comfortable silence.  


"I appreciate it lovely," Tealeaf thanked, taking his skin.  


"We found these really pretty flowers while you guys took so long. What were you guys up too anyway? Was it, " Jester wiggled her eyebrows and winked. When Yasha gave a blank stare, Jester picked up where she left off. "So maybe not, but they were blue, and three of us are part blue," the general stuck out his tongue, "and so I figured I could braid them into your hair," she finished. Yasha smiled.  


"That would be nice," she replied. They got situated back in the cart, and Jester began her masterpiece. By nightfall, all had fallen to her whims, and each had at least one braid with blue flowers tucked in with care. Setting up camp was a fairly easy affair and so was setting up shifts. Tealeaf had just shrugged.  


"I'll take first shift with Bren to keep an eye on him, and we'll go from there" They both stared into the fire while Yasha and Jester slept in their bedrolls. It seemed like a while before the general spoke up.  


"Sorry about Jester. She's a little much for some, but I think you'd agree that she keeps us in high spirits." Caleb nodded.  


"I'm sure she makes a great companion when not traveling Herr Tealeaf." The other winced.  


"Oh gods. Please Bren, It's Mollymauk. Molly to my friends. Tealeaf is for boring war strategy meetings."  


"Alright, Mollymauk," the general grinned. "You go to many of these war meetings?" Caleb asked.  


"More than I'd care to. I want peace, but with the empires ideals…" he trailed off and paused for an uncomfortable amount of time.  


"Some magic hurts," Caleb turned to look at him. Mollymauk brought back the collar of his shirt. Lacerations upon lacerations went down to his mid chest. In the firelight, they seemed much more apparent than they had during the day. "My magic hurts," at that, he sliced a blade against his neck, and pulled back. It glinted with something akin to ice before the magic appeared to melt off. The wound on his neck slowly closed into another lavender scar. Caleb's eyes widened. Blood magic was all but banned in the empire. He had never seen it practiced with such ease.  


"But this afternoon," the general pursed his lips. "Yours doesn't have to you know. The light, it was nice to look at, much like its user." Mollymauk said, looking directly at him. Caleb turned a light pink and looked down at the ground. Molly let out a gentle smile before continuing. "If you can't remember any happy things, we'll just have to start making good memories. I still don't trust you yet, but everyone deserves more than pain. And The Empire is pretty shitty for turning people into puppets for their game of control," Mollymauk claimed. Caleb turned to look at him.  


"You act as if some people don't want the power that comes from having connections by strings and sticks or war. Not all people are good people Mollymauk," he replied.  


"I didn't say good people. I said people. Do you know how many hundreds of people I've killed? I don't regret a single one, and when I go home, I will be proclaimed a hero because I fought for a cause that was popular. The Empire will see me as a pest lower than a fly. Morality is as solid as the moon. It never looks the same from day to day," he waved off. 

"Some things are unforgivable," Caleb stated, looking back into the fire. Mollymauk put a hand on his shoulder. Caleb tensed up and glanced back at him. 

"Well Mister Bren, you sound like you're talking from personal experience," the name makes it so much worse," but I don't think any of us here will judge you. The body count between the three of us and all." Caleb hadn't stopped tensing. He wasn't sure if their combined count was higher than his. He had a bit of a head start. Molly patted his back before retracting his hand. "Get some sleep. I can keep watch." Caleb didn't move. Molly threw his dragon carpet at him. "Things can be new in Xhorhas once you're done talking to the Bright Queen. At least sleep on that if nothing else." 

Caleb nodded, but all he could conjure up as he went to sleep were images of burning parents and worried friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Widofjord week, and this is a bit late for Widowmauk week, so please and kindly fjorget about it. This is a thing now? I guess I'm writing it, so it's a thing now.
> 
> I also switched tense like 5 times while writing, so I'm sorry if anything is still wonky.


	3. Meals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I promise there'll be fun things the gang will interact with soon, but for now it's more on the road stuff. Also, let's pretend message doesn't have a range cause this is my homebrew fanfic

Caleb awoke to the smell of smoke. He wiped his eyes and blinked. Yasha gave him a nod before continuing stirring a pot above the campfire. Whatever was in said pot did not smell consumable. Mollymauk appeared before him with a cup of coffee and extended it out. 

"Glad to see you've decided to join us in the land of the living," he smiled. Caleb took the mug with both hands and gave a slight nod. The tiefling sat down, leaned beside him, and put a hand up to Caleb's ear. "You wouldn't happen to be a good cook, would you? I love Yasha, but the whole group's cooking, well it's not pretty," he whispered. Caleb could whip a feast out of midair, could summon a mansion for them to comfortably eat in and servants to feed it to them personally while instruments played midair. He turned to Mollymauk. 

"My mother used to cook fresh bread, but I'm no prodigy. I know how to add a few spices at best," he replied. The man grinned widely and gave him a pat on the shoulder. 

"We'll put you to good use then!" Mollymauk exclaimed. 

At that, Jester rose from her bed role and stretched her arms. After a long yawn, she squinted at Yasha. 

"Breakfast?" 

Yasha didn't even glance up. "Not yet," she said, poking at the now bubbling mixture. 

Jester nodded to herself and started packing her things into her bag. As she tried stuffing one more book in, the pack ripped at the side. "Aww man," she grumbled and put her hands to it. They glowed the same sort of light as her spell had the day before. "Third time this week too," she pouted. The bag started mending itself at the seams, and she tucked in the book with much more care than before. 

"Third time's the charm dear," Molly called out to her. She sighed, exasperated before giving a nod. 

"Pardon me, but how do you do that spell?" Caleb asked her. She tilted her head before looking over to her bag. 

"Oh! You mean mending? It's really easy, I promise. You just sort of," Jester made a gesture with her hands that didn't look very magical at all, "and voila." She presented the bag. Caleb furrowed his brows. 

"Is it transmutation then?" He inquired, finger on his bottom lip and brow furrowed. Caleb had seen lower foot soldiers perform the spell before, but he hadn't really had a use for it at the time with endless resources, and a need for organization. This time, she furrowed her brows. 

" I guess? I just feel the mending coming through my hands and it reforms. Normally I ask The Traveler, and he helps out." 

"Interesting," Caleb nodded and pulled out his spell book. Turning to a new page, he started writing out the base components of about what he thought the spell would be. Mollymauk leaned in close. 

"What's this script?" He asked, pointing to the corner of the page. Caleb leaned back and put his quill down. What was with these people and personal space? 

"It's just a basic magic lexicon for those of us without divine intervention or lutes." 

"Lutes?" Jester tilted her head. 

"Have you ever met a bard?" Caleb questioned in turn. Jester shook her head. "They play music and it turns into magic, but it tends to be uninteresting. I've always found it a little flat." Mollymauk let out a warm laugh, before his eyes widened. 

"Did you just tell a joke?" 

"No," Caleb picked up his quill. Molly sighed and leaned back to his original sitting position. 

"It's a shame it was a very good one." 

Yasha nods seriously from across the campfire. "It's true. I've heard that Zemnians can't tell jokes." Mollymauk and Jester gave each other a look. Yasha broke her flat stare and gave him a quick smile before the tieflings turned back. 

For a moment, Caleb is reminded of Nott. It's been two days. He isn't sure when she'll be alerted that he hasn't returned, but it almost has to be soon. One day to await their return. Another day to travel, and the next to identify bodies. He'd have today at least. 

"Breakfast is ready," Yasha announced, spooning out a strange grey mush. The other two went to scoop out some for themselves. Jester took a bite and hummed. 

"You've definitely improved since last time Yasha! I can't even taste the burnt bits," Jester complimented. Caleb tried to pay attention to her comment, but the way the substance glooped down and stayed on the spoon was disturbing. 

"Bren?" His eyes snapped to Mollymauk. "Breakfast?" Caleb shook his head and looked down to his book. 

"Ahh, no, danke. I have to write out this spell anyway," Caleb replied. He started writing out an alignment sigil, but it just didn't seem right. 

"Lunch then." Mollymauk affirmed. Caleb vaguely hummed at whatever the tiefling had wanted him to agree to. It was a cantrip, so it couldn't have been too demanding. 

"Bren?" Mollymauk asked, waving his hand in front of Caleb's face. "You there?" Caleb blinked his eyes rapidly. 

"Ja, sorry. What is it?" 

"Time to travel. You better pack your things." Caleb gave his arms a quick scratch and the tiefling a quick hum. He kept his spellbook open with one hand and packed with the other. As he tried to board the cart, Mollymauk leaned up against the side. The man's face was soured with a frown. 

"You know Bren, you can always wait until we're back to Xhorhas to learn magic." Caleb didn't even glance up from his book. Giving a dismissive nod, he hopped right on the cart. The general's frown deepened before he went to board the front. 

For hours, Caleb had made little scratches of weird squiggly lines, verbally indicating if something was wrong. And Jester, she plotted. 

"So, Bren, I was wondering, what is it like living in the empire?" Jester asked. No response. 

"Do they, like, keep you in cages?" Caleb wrote something down and hummed in approval. 

"They do!?!," Jester's eyes went wide. "That's awful, do they at least feed and cloth you guys and stuff?" He sighed and shook his head. 

"That's really super awful. We had heard it was bad, but-" the cart came to a stop. Jester looked to the front. 

"I don't think he's responding to you specifically Jester," Yasha tried explaining. Jester smiled at Caleb who continued writing small characters down. 

"And I think it's time for lunch," Mollymauk added, stretching out his arms. 

At that, Jester started grabbing rations from one of the bags in the back, and handing them out. Caleb didn't even appear to notice. The general tapped him on the arm. 

"Bren," he tried. Caleb looked up. "Oh, Entschuldigen. What is it?" The tiefling looked down and Caleb followed his line of sight. Huh, when did that get there? 

"Danke Herr Mollymauk. I'll eat once I finish this up," he pointed with his quill to his book. Caleb looked at his quill, and then just snapped it in half . 

Mollymauk's eyes widened and he went to grab at Caleb's hands. 

"Bren, I don't think-" 

"One second, bitte." He obliged. Caleb put his hand over the quill and murmured a few words. It burned hot for a few seconds before settling. Caleb held it up. The quill was, in place? When he moved the bottom half, the top would follow. However, there was about an inch of air between the top and bottom halves. He stuck his finger through it. Nothing happened. Maybe if he used a material component? He hadn't seen Jester's holy symbol but that didn't mean she hadn't had it. 

"Bren," Mollymauk said, once again, putting his hand on Caleb's shoulder. He hummed. Molly let out a sigh. "Dinner then?" the tiefling asked. Caleb didn't respond. Molly took the spell book out of his hands. Caleb looked up with wide eyes and jolted to try grabbing the book. Molly raised it above his head. "Dinner. I'm making it. You're eating it. Deal?" He asked, but it was more of a statement. 

"Ja, deal," Caleb quickly agreed, taking his book from the man. Mollymauk closed his eyes and let himself breath in before going back up to the front. 

"Please make sure he doesn't snap himself in half before dinner," he begged Jester, pinching the bridge of his nose. She nodded her head, and so it was so. But by the time camp had been set up much later in the day, Caleb hadn't even gotten out of the cart, still mumbling and scritching. 

Mollymauk didn't bother with formalities this time. He simply picked up Caleb's spellbook, put it in his marvelous coat, and went back to setting up the fire. Caleb stared blankly at his hands. He blinked owlishly before looking up at him, and blinking slowly again. It was sort of endearing. Caleb hopped out of the cart and joined the others. 

He observed the poor purple tiefling who was trying to desperately spark flint and failing spectacularly. He kept hitting them together slowly. It became very clear that the ladies probably made the fire when Caleb wasn't around. Was the general trying to seem more competent? It was sort of endearing. 

"Ah, would you like some help with that?" he offered. The general looked at him and smiled. 

"By all means," and lifted his hands away from the small wood pile, flint on the ground beside it. Caleb lifted his hand and sent out a firebolt. Jester gaped. 

"You didn't tell us you could do that Bren." 

"I said I could do small spells." 

"I didn't think you could do any, like, cool spells. Not to be rude, just, you know." Caleb nodded. He had gotten and planned for it. 

"Where did you learn that one?" Mollymauk asked, putting the same breakfast pot on top of the fire. 

"I was a very bright young child. Magic just came easy to me. But my studies of it were, um, interrupted for quite some time," he admitted. The general hummed. 

"At least the army considered what you were good at," he paused. "I think you should wait until we're in Xhorhas to study any more though," the General said, adding in what looked to be some sort of grain. Caleb shook his head. 

"I'm really no good with a sword-" 

"Then I'll teach you hand-to-hand," Molly interrupted. "Better to fight with no weapon than for the enemy to use yours against you," the tiefling said. He seemed to lose himself for a moment before continuing to stir the pot's contents. "And if I can't, Yasha certainly can," The general ripped off leaves from a nearby bush and added them to the pot. 

Yasha nodded at him with a kind smile. The tall woman could pummel his face before he could get a hit in. Teaching him wouldn't be a problem. Her muscles showed her competence, but the injuries could prove fatal. Caleb had been on the receiving end of one-too-many of Beau's shoulder jabs and fist bumps. 

Mollymauk added rocks and kept on stirring. Now he was fairly certain that wasn't food. The general kept it over the fire until it smelled like petrichor. The smell wasn't bad. It just shouldn't have come from food. The tiefling wiped his brow before gesturing to the pot. 

"Dinner is served." Jester and Yasha went without complaint. Caleb sat and stared at the pot. 

"I can't teach you hand-to-hand combat if you're still a bag of bones Bren. Eat." Mollymauk handed him a bowl and ladled in some of the strange liquid. Caleb raised a spoon to his lips and tried some. It tasted like rotten squash, which was strange because he hadn't seen squash for miles, and the man certainly hadn't added in any gourds. 

"Molly, this is really nice!" Jester complimented. The man gave an over exaggerated bow. Poor, poor Jester had nothing to eat but Mollymauk and Yasha's food. Caleb couldn't imagine her suffering. When he took another sip, the purple tiefling smiled at him. 

The idle chatter of the three was well placed. Mollymauk or Jester would bring up an idea. The other would quip back and forth. Yasha occasionally gave her two coppers. And sometimes, they would even ask Caleb what his opinion was. It was… nice. 

If he really was a low rank soldier admitting his defeat, this would be good. He could imagine learning magic with Jester, sitting in peaceful silence with Yasha, and philosophizing with Mollymauk. Hell, if they were his soldiers, he could- but they weren't his soldiers, and he wasn't some low rank commoner who could indulge in fantasy. Caleb was so useless. He had spent the whole day worrying about how to learn a spell rather than how to get home. The longer he waited, the farther away they would travel. 

"What do you think Bren. Who's right?" Mollymauk asked, twinkle in eye, grin spread wide. 

"I'm on whatever side Yasha is on," he tried to bluff paying attention. The general frowned. Had he messed up? Jester grinned victoriously and pumped her fist in the air. 

"I told you Molly!" Jester exclaimed. Said man stared at him, betrayal in his eyes. Caleb shrugged. The purple man put his hand to his chest. 

"And here I thought we had something Bren. I'm never reading your cards ever now," he threatened. Jester smirked, and her tail started batting from side to side. She hooked her arm through Caleb's and patted his shoulder. 

"I'm glad you've decided to choose the right side after all." What was with these people and physical contact? 

A voice poked at the back of his mind 

_Caleb_

He froze. Jester frowned and unhooked her arm. 

"If I'd have known you wouldn't be comfortable, I would have stopped. I'm sorry Bren," she said, frowning and putting her arm to the side. 

"Nein, it's fine, I just-" 

_Are you okay? Nobody can find your body. They're saying you're dead, but that's not true. Caleb?_

"I think I need to lie down for a moment maybe." A look of concern instantly grew on the general's face. Jester put her hand on his forehead. She waved a finger in front of his eyes. She pinched his hand. 

"Oww!" Caleb rubbed hand. "What was that for?" Jester's eyebrows uncreased and her frown was replaced by a calm. She gave a sigh of relief. 

"You haven't had enough water at all today. That's probably it. Here," the blue tiefling shoved a waterskin at him. He took it and drank a few swigs. She smiled. "Don't exert yourself too much until you've finished the entire skin, okay?" 

He nodded and took another swig. Oh how he wished it was Rum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the combat training planned for this chapter. Man, I had Frumpkin planned too, but then my brian told me I had to go and over explain magic again, so here we are. Next chapter? Probably.


End file.
